North American AT-6 "Texan"
"Ace in the Hole"
 Advanced Trainer 

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The AT-6 family of Advanced Trainers first entered service in 1938, and variants continued in service until recent times. "Ace" is an AT-6A; about 1,800 were built. The naval version of the AT-6 is the SNJ; the approximate equivalent of the AT-6A is SNJ-3, and another 270 of these were built. In RAF and RCAF service, the AT-6 was known as the "Harvard".  AT-6A's were built at the original North American factory in Inglewood, California and at a new plant in Dallas, TX; the Dallas plant was the dominant source of the model. The AT-6A features a 600 HP Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 radial engine, a variable-pitch propeller and retractable main landing gear. It also could be fitted with machine guns for use in gunnery training. Later versions of the AT-6 (which was by then referred to simply as the T-6) continued in service after WWII.  In addition to a training role, T-6's were used as forward air control aircraft during the Korean War.  They were often referred to as "Mosquitos" during this action.  Several countries also used armed T-6's as ground attack or counter-insurgency aircraft.      photos above by Roger Kahle

Specifications
Engine
One Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 radial piston engine rated at 600 hp for take-off and 550 hp at 8,000 ft

Fuel capacity
Internal fuel 111 US gal

Dimensions
Wingspan 42 ft 0 in
Length 29 ft 0 in; height 11 ft 9 in
Operational weights : Empty 3,900 lb; maximum take-off 5,155 lb

Performance
Maximum level speed 'clean' 182 kt (210 mph) at 5,000 ft; normal cruise 126 kt (145 mph)
Maximum range 546 nm (629 miles)
Service ceiling 24,000 ft

Armament
Provisions for one forward-firing cowl-mounted .30 cal. machine gun and one trainable .30 cal. machine gun in the rear cockpit.